Means for releasing boats from their falls at both ends simultaneously.



No. 808,575. PATBNTBD DEC.26,1905.

G. s. A. RANKING.

MEANS FOR RELEASINGBOA'TS FROM THEIR FALLS AT BOTH ENDS SIMULTANBOUSLY. APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS No. 808,575. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. G. S. A. RANKING.

MEANS FOR RELEASING BOATS FROM THEIR FALLS AT BOTH ENDS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS .ably limited by the stops 15.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

GEORGE SPEIRS ALEXANDER RANKING, OF CALCUTTA, INDIA.

MEANS FOR RELEASlNG BOATS FROM THEIR FALLS AT BOTH ENDS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, GEORGE SPEIRs ALEX- ANDER RANKING,OOlOnel Indian medical service, a subject of His Majesty King Edward VII, residingat 17 Elysium Row, Calcutta, in British India, have invented Improved Means for Releasing Boats from Their Falls at Both Ends Simultaneously, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a device whereby a boat may be released from its falls at both ends simultaneously, the entire device-being under the control of one man.

In the accompanying drawings a convenient form my invention may take is shown, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing interior of boat. Fig. 2 is a plan of the entire mechanism separate. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the hooks in the position it takes when engaged by the cam. Fig. 4 is a plan of same. Fig. 5 is a section on line 1 1 of Fig. 4 when the hook is in the released position.

Referring now to the drawings, the boat is suspended from the davits at each end by a hook I of special shape. These hooks 1 are pivoted at 2 to the forked end 3 of the pillars 4, which may be attached to the boat in any suitable manner, that shown consisting of sling-plates 5, to which the ends of the pillars 4 are bolted, while these sling-plates are connected by throughbolts 6 to the plates 7, which are let into the keel of the boat, as shown.

The back or rearportion of each of the hooks 1 is. provided or made integral with a spur or arm 8, Fig. 3, which carries on its end a suitable roller 9, with which a cam 10 is capable of engagement. erably consist of a fiat portion 11, Fig. 4, on which the roller rests, and a sloped portion 12, down or up which the roller runs. Each cam 10 is mounted on the spindle 13 and is capable of rotation in a horizontal plane on the plate 14, such movement being prefer- The plate 14 may be provided witha sli ht recess for the reception of the roller 9, as s own in Fig. 5.

At the lower end of each of the spindles 13 is a fixed crank 16, Figs. 1 and 2. These cranks are connected, by means of connecting rods 17, to opposite sides of the double crankarm 18, which is mounted on the spindle 19,

These cams 10 prefwhich is capable of rotation by means of the handle 20.

To release the boat from the falls, all that is necessary is to rotate the handle 20, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, which action causes the earns 10 to rotate simultaneously, and thus remove the support of the rollers 9, which immediately drop into the position shown in Fig. 5, causing the hooks 1 to be disengaged. To replace the hooks in their first position, the handle 20 is turned back into its place, causing the lower edge of the sloping portion 12 of the cams 10 to engage the rollers 9, which are raised into the position shown in Fig. 3.

The position of the handle 20, though shown in the drawings at the center thwart, may be placed in any other suitable positionfor instance, at the after thwart, so as to be under the control of the coxswain, or even on the aft cam-spindle 13, if this should be thought more convenient. The handle 20 is preferably provided with a locking device to prevent it from accidentally rotating, that shown consisting of a preventer-pin 21, which passes through the center thwart 22 of the boat and engages the end of the handle 20, it being necessary to remove this pin to unlock the handle.

It will readily be seen that changes, variations, and modifications may be made without departing from the general spirit of the invention. For instance, the connectingrods 17 may be passed under the floor of the boat and be bent, twisted, or otherwise shaped for this purpose, if found necessary. Further, the gear may be suitably covered in to protect it from the weather either by temporary covers, which have to be removed to work the gear, or by fixed covers, which permit of the parts being operated. It will also be seen that the rollers 9 may be dispensed with, if desired.

The materials of which the parts are constructed would of course be selected with due respect to working conditions, the cams and rollers being preferably constructed of gunmetal or other suitable material.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. Means for disengaging a boat from its falls, consisting of pivoted hooks, arms on the back of said hooks, cams engaging said arms,

and means for simultaneously operating said cams.

2. Means for disengaging a boat from its falls, consisting. of pivoted hooks, arms on the backs of said hooks, rollers mounted on said arms, cams engaging said rollers, and means for simultaneously operating said cams.

3. Means for disengaging a boat from its falls, consisting of pivoted hooks, arms on the backs of said hooks and integral therewith, rollers mounted on said arms, cams engaging said rollers, cranks connected to said earns, a double crank-arm pivoted in its center, connecting-rods between said cranks and opposite sides of said crank-arm, and means for rotating said crank-arm. 

